With only three fights in the Octagon, there’s still a lot to learn about “Astroboy,” but you can be sure we’ll learn a lot when we see him against Pantoja.
One thing we have seen from Erceg in his fights is his ability to move wherever the fight takes him. Against David Dvorak, Allesandro Costa and Matt Schnell, he took his time and worked until he found a chink in his opponent’s armor. The knockout of Schnell was particularly impressive since it turned the lights out on one of the toughest guys in the division.
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Just like the champion, Erceg has a very well-rounded skill set. The 28-year-old is efficient and active on his feet, landing 4.57 strikes per minute, which is well above the UFC average of 2.5 strikes per minute. He also has excellent takedown defense, preventing 77.8% of all takedown attempts from being successful. For reference, the UFC’s takedown defense average is only 55%, proving that Erceg won’t be a pushover for Pantoja to get to the canvas.
Meeting in the middle
